The Adventures of Emma Price
by 23-17-46-11
Summary: When Emma Price makes a career leap, it leads to odd new friends and a sense of confidence she never knew she had. {Crack may ensue!}
1. New Horizons

**Hello my dears! It's been rather a while hasn't it? I really must apologise but lately so many plot-bunnies have been hopping around all over the place and I just need to write them down. I promise I will get around to those other works that are sitting in a corner, dusty and feeling neglected. For now though! Please enjoy my first Batman story.**

**Disclaimer: I own no part of Batman or any associated characters, I make no money from this and any events that transpire that bare any resemblance to story arcs in the comics are purely coincidental.**

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><p><em>The Adventures of Emma Price<em>

_Chapter one - New Horizons._

To most of Gotham, Emma and Callum Price were pretty ordinary. Which, for a city filled with deranged criminals, was something of a rarity! They were husband and wife, best of friends and pranksters. Most importantly of all they were completely open and honest with one and other.

Callum Price was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, he had been there for seven years. He wasn't as far ahead in his career as the likes of Doctor Jonathan Crane had been, but he also wasn't the type to scare easy and give up on his work. He had worked on some of the high profile cases; Riddler for instance and Poison Ivy but those two were enough for him.

Emma Price was a head chef at one of the swankiest restaurants in the city, seriously you had to be the richest of the rich to even get to book a table. She had been in that job for three years and before that had worked in other, less impressive, eateries.

So what, I hear you ask, is the reason I am telling you this story? I'm telling it to you because it gets better. Alas, you gotta hear the basics first so bear with it.

So they met at college, he was attempting to study in the library but she was distracting him, not intentionally but still. The coffee machine she was working at made no noise but she would hum occasionally and each time she did he smiled and stopped for a few moments to listen to her. Eventually she must have noticed this because she crept up and popped a cup of tea beside him. "You look like you could use it."

Blah blah blah… So now you know who they are and how they met, I trust you'll be wanting to move onto the actual story? Good.

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><p>"Cal, dinner's on the table!" She called to her husband.<p>

Soon the door to his study had opened and she could hear him head into the dining room. He sat down and licked his lips. It was rare that Emma was around to make the dinner, which made these meals all the more enjoyable. It was her night off though, the restaurant was closed for renovations.

"How was your day?" She asked, smiling as Cal found it difficult to reply due to the mouthful he was currently trying to swallow. Once he had succeeded he smiled back.

"It could have gone worse. I got a new patient, but y'know I can't say much more. Joker came back so there was a bit of a ruckus otherwise not bad. I think Pamela and I are making an acceptable amount of progress, Edward continues to be difficult at every turn though." He smiled, pleased with his summary. "What about your day?"

"Well admittedly I was a bit lost today, after you left I ordered what the restaurant will need when we go back in a day or two. Then I started cleaning, can't say it was just a wee bit of spring cleaning…" She laughed, "Those blinds have never been cleaner, even when they came out of the packet! Then I made the marinade for the meat and left it in the fridge. Watched some TV, read a little and started prepping the veg when you came home."

"So you've not been idle then?" He chuckled, putting the last piece of his meal on his fork.

"Me? Idle? Never!" Emma told him

"That's what I liked about you when we first met. No customers but you still found something to do."

Emma recalled the day they met and grinned. That had been a good day.

The rest of the meal went by in comfortable silence.

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><p>It was some time later when they were on the couch watching TV that Emma brought up what she had been meaning to at the table. She shifted her weight around so that while her head was still lay on Cal's lap, she was facing him and not the telly. He was still absent-mindedly playing with her hair when she cleared her throat and smiled. "Babe, I'm thinking about leaving the restaurant."<p>

"Why's that?" Cal asked, fingers still entwined in her hair.

"I wanna be doing something better than feeding the richest of the rich. I mean, all day it's big walleted men and their wives or current flings ordering food that anyone else would kill for. Don't get me wrong, I love the team. The guys have made me one of their own and I'm real grateful for that but I always thought I'd be doing something more useful. You know?" She was opening up to him and really hoped he would listen.

"You got any idea what you'd be doing instead?" He asked

Oh good, he was actually going to listen. Emma actually felt awful for having thought he would shut her down.

"I want to take a job that's been offered to me. I should have talked to you beforehand but I wanted to make sure that there was actually something to talk about before I brought it up…"

"Seems pretty sensible. Go on." He said, smiling. He had known it could only be so long that Emma would be happy feeding the highest classes of Gotham City.

"Well. I'd be cooking the meals for the inmates at Arkham." She told him cautiously.

This changed things slightly, "Which inmates?"

"The, um, ones in the Intensive Treatment ward. The guys like Two-Face and Joker…" She was sure he would object because cooking for them also meant serving them.

His brow creased, partly in worry and partly in concentration. If she truly wanted to do this, then she would and he refused to step in her way. "I am behind you, 100%. If this is what you want to do then I'll support you."

Seeing her face light up with glee was the best thing about his agreeing to this job change. "Oh thank god! I mean, I really wanted to accept but I wasn't too keen on the idea of not having your blessing. I know I don't need it, but I like to know I have it." Her head rose off his lap and caught him in a giddy kiss. "Cal, I really love you." She told him when she pulled away.

"I know, I love you too." He told her.

"Now I just have to tell my dad…" She shuddered, knowing that was not going to end well. He was not going to approve! But that was a problem for tomorrow.

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><p>Tomorrow came all too quickly for Emma's liking and she knew she would just have to get it over with but first, she called Warden Sharp to let him know she would be starting the following week.<p>

"Excellent. I look forward to having someone with such skill on the team!"

Once that phone call was done, there was nothing left for it. She would have to call her dad.

_Ring Ring. Ring Ring._

"Hello." A sharp voice on the other end of the call said.

"Hey Dad! It's Emma." She said, trying to sound less worried than she was.

"Oh, Emma. Shouldn't you be at work?" He asked.

"Nah, restaurants closed for renovations. Say, is it alright if I come round?"

"Yes. Make it in about an hour though so I can shower okay?" It was less of a question, more of an order.

"Yes, sir." She told him and he hung up.

_1 Hour Later._

Emma rang the doorbell and almost immediately her father opened it and stood aside to let her in.

They went through to the living room and sat down. Her father didn't offer her refreshments. He believed that since she had grown up in this house she knew where the kitchen was and how to make whatever she needed, so deserved no such attentions.

When she didn't make to go put the kettle on he asked "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Oh god, where did she start? Maybe just go for the direct approach.

"Dad, I thought it only fair you hear from me and not some gossiping old woman down at the pub, I've taken a new job."

"I see. Where?" He asked, his tone was cold and harsh.

"Arkham Asylum. I'm to cook the meals for the High-Security prisoners."

"You mean maniacs like the Joker and Poison Ivy?" He stood up and towered over his daughter.

"Uh. Yes sir."

"I forbid it! Hell, I knew I should have intervened when you wanted to marry that damn Psychiatrist! Bad enough you wanted to be one but then you go and marry one! Now you're cooking meals for deranged lunatics!" He was seething.

At the direct hit out at Cal she stood too, "You forbid it?! I'm no little girl anymore, I'm twenty six and as for your attack on Cal, I suggest you take it back! I may have conceded to you on not being a Psychiatrist when I was younger and I may have opted for a hands-on career like you told me to but with this hands on career I at least want to do something worthwhile!"

"Get out. I don't want to see you or that ridiculous husband of yours again. Stupid man has been putting ideas in your head. Cooking for lunatics, they don't deserve to be fed. Barely deserve to live! But I bet your Cal believes they can be cured! Well they can't and certainly not with a little bit of good cooking!" Her father bellowed.

Emma was at the door by now "Is it any wonder Mum left you!" was her parting shot before she slammed the door and made her way to her car.

Surprisingly, that had gone just a little bit better than expected.

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><p><strong>So, how did you like the first chapter? I've been reading a lot of Batman stories on here recently and most of them, if they include an OC starting work at Arkham they tend to come in as a Psychiatrist. So I thought it would be fun to try a different approach. Please R&amp;R cause feedback really helps.<strong>


	2. Choice Words

**Here**** we are again! So I have a couple quick things to say before we get on with the story. First, I was a dumb ass and labeled it as a TDK fic when I already have Joker, Two-Face and Bane etc in Arkham so as I don't want to change it lets just over look my idiocy and get on with it huh? **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that relates to Batman, if I did I would not be sitting in a dark room furiously getting this typed up for you guys, I'd be sunning it up in Thailand or somewhere equally sunny and interesting.**

**So, without further ado!**

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><p><em>The Adventures of Emma Price<em>

_Chapter Two - Choice Words._

Well ladies and gentlemen, now you see how a young woman chose to change the direction of her career and what do you suppose can come of it? Well, as her own father put it, she would be cooking food for maniacs. I bet you are all thinking that this tale, though I say it is interesting, can surely not have a happy ending. Well, we have yet to see haven't we?

Now, I am sure you will be anxious to hear the next part right? Too bad if you aren't.

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><p>It was no surprise to Callum Price when he got home and his wife was in a foul mood. Conversations with her father often resulted in such moods and they tended to last for longer than Callum liked. He often wanted to diagnose it as something, but he wouldn't. Emma wouldn't appreciate it and since she had access to large, sharp knives - He was not even going to attempt it. He learned, however, that her mood was not all down to the exchange with her father.<p>

"They're saying that the job that was only supposed take three days is going to take _two weeks_! Which means the restaurant is gonna be closed for the _whole period before my resignation_! I'll need to get the guys around for a night in or something, tell them the news. I emailed Chris about me resigning and he says he'll print that off and it can serve as my resignation letter. I also called Warden Sharp to let him know I've accepted the job. God, he's a smug sounding bastard." Emma reeled, her mood a little lighter when Callum winked at her.

"Not even started working for him yet and you already hate the man. That's gotta be a record, even for you! Can't say most of the others in his employ feel all that differently of course."

"Haha, don't forget about the inmates!"

It was good to hear her laugh so soon after speaking to her father, Callum put it down to starting a new job shortly.

"Batman too, probably." He added.

She just gave a shrug, Batman was an odd topic around her. She neither agreed with what he did, nor did she envy his self-inflicted penance to deal with what Gotham could spew up from it's murky depths.

"In other news, I cannot be arsed cooking anything. You want a take out?" She sat down on the couch and cocked her brow.

"Hmm, nah. I'm not feeling so great. I think I'd rather give food a miss tonight." He told her truthfully and sat down next to her.

"Okay. You want to just go to bed?" She asked.

"Later. Dare I ask how the conversation went today with your dad?" His tone was cautious.

"You can probably imagine how it went. He forbade me from taking the job and called you an idiot or something like that and insinuated that I couldn't think for myself, that you had been putting ideas into my head."

"Well. I wouldn't say I had been putting ideas into your head… If I had been I would have gotten you to apply for the chef position cooking for the staff!" He laughed and leaned in to kiss her.

"Ew, no. I have to see your face when you come home. Why would I wanna cook for you and have to see you at work!" She giggled, sticking out her tongue at him and pushing his face away.

"If that is how you feel about me then maybe I should go then eh?" He retorted.

"Hmm, nah. You have your uses sweetheart."

"Such as?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You make me laugh." She told him and give him a quick peck on the lips. "You're also good in bed."

Wiggling her own eyebrows, she gave him another peck on the lips.

"Well then, want to join me in that bed?" He grinned and led her to the bedroom.

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><p>Emma's week resignation period went by quickly and she did have that night with the guys where she broke the news, they had been more than a little miffed and had asked what she was going to do next.<p>

"I'm feeding the high security inmates at Arkham." She told them.

"Why? Can't they feed themselves likes?" a younger chef called Jimmy joked.

"Nope, straight jackets are quite restrictive Jimmy." another chef, Carlos, replied.

To her surprise, none of them condemned her for it. In fact, they all wished her luck.

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><p>On the morning of her first day, Emma had a meeting with Warden Sharp before she started to prepare for the lunch. Callum drove them both to the Asylum and he gave her a quick kiss before wishing her all the best for her first day.<p>

The first thing Emma noticed was that the place was absolutely littered with guards, doctors and high-tech doors. Her first thought to that was how little confidence that instilled given how often the inmates escaped the place. Especially the Joker, it actually surprised her that he hadn't escaped again yet. He had been in for over a week and, according to Cal, had been on his best behaviour. After finally getting through all the security she was lead, by a very heavily armed guard, to Sharp's office. Or rather, the small waiting room type area outside his office. The guard stayed with her the whole time.

"I feel like I'm back at my old high school waiting to be reprimanded, sitting outside the Head Masters office!"

The guard chuckled at that.

"You get into trouble often back then?" He asked.

"Nah. Only on boring days." She winked.

"You're the new cook for the more dangerous inmates right?" He asked, changing tact and throwing Emma a little off balance by the sudden change.

"Uh huh." Was about all she could think of to say.

"Good luck, you're gonna need it." He said as Warden Sharp's office door opened to reveal a woman Emma assumed to be his secretary or something. That's when the guard left and she was called into the room.

"Good Morning Mrs Price, how are you feeling this morning?" Warden Sharp asked.

"Morning! Not gonna lie to you Warden, I'm pretty nervous. Not about the cooking of course. More serving the inmates but I'll not be nervous long." She told him confidently.

"Hmm, yes. Well I thought we could start with a quick tour of the facility?" Sharp told her.

"I don't think that's really needed. Maybe just show me to the kitchen?" Emma said, she had no desire to possibly run into any of the inmates she would be feeding before it was entirely necessary.

"Nonsense. Come, you will need to know how to find the fire exits and such anyway."

She was sure he was just making excuses now because by rights, there is supposed to a fire exit in the kitchen so that if the kitchen is the area on fire, the chefs are in little to no danger.

"We are going to keep the inmates in their rooms for the first week or two so that it is easier for you get to grips with them. You will have a guard with you at all times."

She nodded and vaguely wondered if they had any trolleys or ways to keep the food hot whilst they transported it. She was not about to hold out any hope.

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><p>The man had taken an hour and a half to lead her to the kitchen. She now only had four hours to prepare the lunch. According to the Warden she would have a capable team to help her. So her hopes were high when she went to change.<p>

Taking next to no time at all she changed and marched through to the kitchen, to be greeted with a horrible surprise.

A team of three women and two men stood in line to greet her, except they had no chef whites on. They were in completely casual clothing, this was a disaster!

"You have got to be kidding me. Where are your chef whites guys?" She asked.

"We don't have any." A tall dark haired girl said.

"You mean you are trained chefs but have _**NO CHEF WHITES**_?" She barked, it was too late to play nice, she had slotted herself into her head chef mind-set.

"Most of us aren't even professionally trained, the Warden advertised for chefs and we applied." Another girl said, seeming unafraid of Emma.

"Let me get this straight. Warden Sharp hired you with no qualifications? Now, on the job training I can handle but the fact that you were not supplied with Chef Whites? I will not stand for it. I'll be having a few choice words with the Warden. Out, all of you. Out my kitchen until you have proper clothing to be here." Emma was furious and almost completely done with the job already as they all filed out of the kitchen.

Once they were gone she checked the fridge, freezer and dry store in the hopes of finding something easy to prepare. It didn't take long before she found enough to make something creative and simple.

"Barbeque Nachos. Okay, cooking for one hundred and fifty inmates. Each pack of chicken weighs around a kilo, take out five packs and steam those for about forty minutes, mix in the barbeque sauce. Layer the nachos and spread the cheese over the top. Back in the oven for ten minutes. Then keep it in the hot cupboard. Easy!" She spoke to herself, an unfortunate habit she had picked up in her career as a chef.

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><p>Just under an hour later and she was ready. With the lunch in the hot cupboard, she figured it was time to go have a word with the Warden. To cover her whites she threw her jumper over the top and stormed up to the Warden's office. As she reached the door, his receptionist made to ask her to wait but Emma sent her a burning glare and walked in anyway.<p>

"Warden, would you like to explain why my co-workers have no chef whites? You, as their employer, should be supplying them if they have none of their own, which they will not cause you practically hired them off the street!" She was seeing red and the Warden looked surprised to be getting challenged like this.

"Now Mrs Price, if you think you can just burst in here and tell me what to do then I'm afraid you are wrong. You have only just commenced employment here and already you are way overstepping your boundaries!" Sharp huffed.

"Nah, see you hired me as a head chef and that's exactly what I'll be doing my friend. Do not assume that I am afraid of shaming my husband because he would agree with me and do not think that because I am a woman who chose to spend her life in a kitchen, you can just expect me to do as I am told!" She warned, "So I want my co-workers supplied with the correct gear by tomorrow or you'll regret hiring me."

She gave him no time to reply as she left with a slam of the door, it was almost time to dish up and go around the rooms to serve the inmates.

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><p><strong>So there we have it! A whole chapter for you guys, this one is even a little linger than the last. Can't say I'm not good to you!<strong>

**As always please leave a review telling me what you thought! It's even more important this time around cause you guys get to choose which inmate she meets first! **

**Also, depending on which villian she meets in the next chapter, I'm hoping to answer the reviews on that chapter in character. So if she meets Bane first, I'll try and stay in character as Bane when I reply to any reviews for said chapter and so on for the following chapters!**

**Last two things: **

**A) Thanks to Jasmine Scarthing for reviewing and following. Thanks also to breannapierson for following and favouriting!**

**B) Brownie points for whoever can identify our narrator!**


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